These are the words of our God.
In humble acceptance of the fact that
"Never Doubt the Power of God's Word"
Text: 2 Timothy 3:12-17
In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Gate to Life Eternal and our Friend as we
travel along the path, dear Fellow Christians:
A young boy awakens in the night and listens to a clear and direct voice
revealing what will soon happen to his master. The message is from God
himself, yet delivered in so normal a voice that the boy three times thought it
the voice of his master, Eli. So God spoke to Samuel.
An old man, who at 75 was just beginning the greatest part of his life, hears
the voice of his God and leaves his extended family and the land of his
ancestors and settles in Canaan. Later he heard the voice of this same God –
now promising to give him descendants as numerous as the stars, and now
warning him of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and again
announcing that the Savior of the world would come from his line. So the Lord
spoke to Abraham.
Another old man hears the voice of the Lord who, speaking from a burning
bush, tells him to lead his people from captivity. Much later the Lord speaks to
a young Hebrew man, telling him to lead his people against the Midianites.
And much later still he speaks to a prince of Israel as he ascends to the throne
of his father, David. So the Lord spoke to Moses, Gideon, and Solomon.
Back then, clearly, God spoke. But what about today? Does the Lord speak to
us today? How can we hear him? How can we know his voice? What will he
sound like and how will he communicate with us? Even if he were to speak, is
this same God still as powerful, still as relevant and effective as he once was?
Do his words still matter? It is to such questions that we turn our attention this
morning – timely questions for those who can at times feel forsaken,
frustrated, or powerless. The text that will form the basis of this our study this
morning is found in Paul's Second Letter to Timothy, the 3rd Chapter:
2 Timothy 3:12-17 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on
from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you,
continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing
from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been
acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out
by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for
training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
these words are altogether true and right in all ways and at all times, so
we pray: “Sanctify us by your truth, O Lord. Your word is truth.”
Amen.
If I were to ask you "Is the Lord still speaking to his people today?" I'm
guessing you might well imagine that you could already in your mind trace
the path where the answer will lead, even before I take you down it. "Is
the Lord still speaking to his people? Yes, God speaks to us even today
from the pages of the Holy Bible." Hopefully your thought process from
that point wouldn't be: "I already know and believe that the Bible is God's
Word. Every Christian knows that. So, I guess that having been reminded
of that fact (which of course is a good thing) I will now try to occupy my
mind while the pastor talks about what I already know." The goal in
studying God's Word is more than just to be reminded of what we already
know; it is also to apply what you know in such a way that you come away
enlightened as well as reminded, educated as well as strengthened,
better prepared for the future by being reminded of what is past. The goal
is not just to state the obvious, but to use God's Word as God himself
intended and as he reminded us in our text: "for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness."
So, is the Lord still speaking to his people today? Let me ask in a little
different way: Who here, as a follower of Jesus Christ, has not wished
that God would give you some kind of a sign or special guidance,
especially when faced with an important decision in your life? This is
obviously not a rare desire, since I've heard these words from others and
I've thought them myself. Wouldn't it just be great if God would just tell us
– out loud – what he wants us to do?
Obviously there is nothing necessarily wrong with that. It's a noble, God-
pleasing desire to be led by God in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.
The problem is when we hear the answer and don't necessarily like it.
Christians generally know the right answer to most questions. We know
that he has given us answers and guidance in his Word, but we tend to
lack conviction that our specific question or problem could actually have
been answered several thousand years ago. The reasoning goes
something like: "I know, for example, that Baal is an idol and that murder
is a sin, but what I want to know is whether or not I should marry this
person… or go to that school… or take that job… or move to that city."
God's people tend to trust the Bible for doctrinal truth and for general
guidance, but many wonder if the Bible can really be trusted to answer
today's specific questions. Can the Bible, in other words, really be God
speaking to us today?
This question needs to be answered, and we will, but first we have to take
a step back and to acknowledge that an even more disturbing question
has arisen of late – one that actually threatens to make obsolete or moot our
first question. It doesn't really matter if God is speaking to us if we've lost
confidence in that God. Our society has adopted the notion that even if God is
still speaking today, his word, his message – even God himself – is no longer
relevant because he no longer has the power to actually accomplish what he
desires. The even deeper problem is society's view that the God of our
forefathers has lost his power to control, which means that even if he does
communicate in some way with human beings today, that communication has
no inherent value.
This denigration in man's natural understanding of God is actually fairly
predictable – if they lower God to human standards. Has the thought ever
occurred to you: Hey, I wonder whatever happened to ________? As human
beings age, their mental and physical capabilities naturally and universally
begin to slow down or deteriorate. When an individual ceases to be the best at
what he or she does, that individual naturally begins to seem less and less
relevant, and naturally tends to fade into obscurity as human beings redirect
their attention to that which emerges as the next best new thing. Maybe that's
one reason professional athletes are so reluctant to leave their sport. They
know instinctively that in doing so they will almost certainly pass into the
obscurity of the masses.
When the "slippage" becomes obvious and profound, most folks tend to forget
altogether; they come to imagine that the world has pretty much gotten all they
can from this individual and that it's time to move on. Nursing homes are filled
with those who, in society's mind, have nothing more to offer.
Society seems to have placed God – together with also his Word - into that
category. The trend-setters have even now determined that we are living in
the "post-Christian era." The clear indication is that they believe that
Christianity has run its course, offered all it could, and should now be
relegated to a sort of spiritual nursing home – never to be heard from again. It
is time for humankind to find a new source of truth, a new and better source of
reality, fulfillment, and wisdom. The Old Way was fine for Grandma and
Grandpa, maybe even for our parents, but the time has come for something
new, better, different, because even if the God of our Lutheran forefathers
does speak today, clearly in the minds of modern man he no longer has the
power he may have once had. Nor, therefore, does his Word carry the power
that it once did.
Obviously this is blasphemy of the highest order, and God does not treat such
sins lightly. Our New Testament lesson reminded us, for example, of the
sorting process that will take place on Judgment Day. Is the trend irreversible?
Not necessarily. History tells us that mankind does not always and only slide
further and further from the one true God. The pattern of history is not an ever
downward curve but a rollercoaster or pendulum. Look at the history of Israel
and you will see the pattern. The Jews were forever swinging from "on fire for
God" to any old god will do. For the sake of his promise and covenant
(which is the message we heard in our Old Testament lesson from
Deuteronomy 7) God always not only preserved a remnant of true
believers, he also brought about revival and rededication. So Israel rose
under Moses and Joshua, and fell during the time of their successors.
There was revival under David and Solomon, and the return to apostasy
under Solomon's son Rehoboam and those who followed. Again there
was a rededication under Hezekiah and Josiah, and the inevitable fall
under their successors.
The root cause was almost always the same: man returned to the same
pagan thoughts and desires of their decadent ancestors. We see the
same things happening today, and the results are both predictable and
inevitable. When man seeks from God what God has never promised,
man is not only invariably disappointed, he is disillusioned. He begins to
doubt the effectiveness of the God he once worshipped, or the God that
was once worshipped by his forefathers. So again in our day crowds are
thronging to those who promise the desires of their human hearts.
Thousands turn out every week to hear that they can be rich, fit, powerful,
and happy. They gather to hear that the sin that naturally troubles their
collective conscience is no longer sinful but it is now progressive and
fashionable. The old God couldn't or wouldn't provide the desires of man's
heart, so man just made another.
It is striking how so little has changed in the thousands of years since the
events of our text. As then, so also today, we live in a world where God
made himself known, only to be abandoned. This very thing was foretold
in our text for this morning. It was happening in Paul's day, it is happening
today. Our text put it this way: "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly
life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and
impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being
deceived."
Though God in his Word repeatedly warned that Christians would typically
be the poor, persecuted nothings in the eyes of the world, others today
are telling us that Christians can and should have and live exactly like the
unbelieving world around them. Though Jesus himself warned of ongoing
hardship for those that are his - those who would one day inherit eternal
life - today we are told that everything has changed. We have, in other
words, new gods that will give us exactly what we want. The only rule is
that nothing that was once considered evil can ever be condemned.
Focus on your own worldly desires, let others focus on theirs, and all will
be well.
But then is or is not the Lord speaking to his people today? Of course he
is, and in much the same way as he did in former times. This does not
mean that he speaks audibly in the ears of a select few, or that he
continues to reveal new facts or prophecies. But it does mean that he still
actively and specifically addresses our concerns when we turn to the pages of
Holy Scripture. Understand this well. The Bible does not just give us vague
parallels to today's problems and a "best of luck" when we try to find our way.
Both the Holy Spirit and the Word itself are "living and active." There is a
divine power at work in God's Word that is every bit as powerful today as it
ever was. Our Triune God is every bit as powerful and effective as he ever
was. That means that God himself works in us and for us whenever we are
exposed to Holy Scripture. Note that while Scripture rules out new and
continuing revelation (which actually ought to be a great comfort to us) it does
in no way indicate that His Spirit will ever stop working in and for us, or that
His Word would no longer be effective, powerful, applicable, and decisive in
our lives. Far from it.
The godless of this age have downgraded God, so it is only natural that they
have downgraded his Word as well. Since God himself is impotent, so is his
Word. The new thing they have adopted is anything but new, which is that
man will be rewarded if he simply does the best that he can and is who he is.
Modern thought is actually just the ancient lie that if there is a God he will
certainly accept you into his heaven just as you are.
Our text says just the opposite: "From childhood you have been
acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Still today the one, the only path to
heaven is through faith alone in Jesus Christ. The only good that God sees in
us is the good that he has credited to us based on what Jesus has done for
us, as our substitute. It is anything but an outdated truth that the only way
anyone can live forever in heaven is by God's undeserved love through faith in
Jesus Christ. Sin is real, but so is the forgiveness that is ours through faith
alone in God's Son.
Our God will indeed speak to you concerning other questions or problems in
your life. He has promised to be with you always, and to give you all things,
but you must go to the place where he promised to speak to you: His Holy
Scriptures. There he will not simply give you vague and often conflicting
notions about what you ought to do or what course of action you ought to take.
There, when you are exposed to the power of his Word, he will visit you, guide
you, convict and convince you. But, again, you must visit with him where he
told you to go, and then you must be prepared to listen to him and to submit to
his guiding hand. How foolish to blame God for any failure to guide and direct
us when it is we who do not go where he promised to speak to us, and we
who fail to follow where he leads.
Is God, and therefore also his Word, now outdated and impotent? Hardly. Our
text offers this timeless reminder: As for you, continue in what you have
learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15
and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred
writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith
in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent (complete)
equipped for every good work." Trust your God, trust his Word, and
know with unshakable confidence that you will lack for nothing – in this
world or the next. Amen.
Scripture Readings
ESV
Deuteronomy 7:6-9 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your
God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his
treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the
earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other
people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were
the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and
is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has
brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house
of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore
that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant
and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his
commandments, to a thousand generations."
ESV
Matthew 13:44-52 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden
in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes
and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding
one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the
sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it
ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw
away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will
come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them
into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth. 51 "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him,
"Yes." 52 And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been
trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who
brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
 ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
2510 E Divide Ave Bismarck, ND 58501
Office: (701) 223-4885 Cell: (701) 425-5483
www.bismarcklutheran.org mjroehl@bis.midco.net
Mark Johnson, President (222-1855) Eileen McEnroe, Head Organist
Michael Roehl, Pastor Today's Organist: Eileen McEnroe
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 30, 2017
The Opening Prayer by the Pastor
The Opening Hymn – 33 (Red Hymnal)
"The Lord Hath Helped Me"
The Order of Morning Service – Red Hymnal page 5.
The Scripture Lessons: (Printed on the back of the bulletin)
The Old Testament Lesson: (Deuteronomy 7:6-9) It is both easy and
common for a people who have been blessed by God to begin to
imagine that they themselves are the cause of God's goodness, rather
than the humble recipients of undeserved gifts. We are reminded in our
first lesson that we are unworthy of the least of God's blessings. This is
indeed a great comfort, for God's goodness depends on his promise, not
on our worthiness, and God always keeps his promises.
The New Testament Lesson: (Matthew 13:44-52) Our second reading
is a continuation of Jesus' parables about Judgment Day, the reality of
both heaven and hell, and how good and evil (faith and unbelief) will be
separated on the Last Day. This is not a New Testament only doctrine.
The Resurrection is the focus of all of God's Word. So also both Old and
New Testament believers will be gathered together at the Judgment.
How great will be that day!
The Confession of Faith -
The Apostolic Creed (Red Hymnal page 12)
The Pre-Sermon Hymn - 338 (Red Hymnal)
"Thine Forever, God of Love"
The Sermon - Text: 2 Timothy 3:12-17 (Printed on the back page)
"Never Doubt the Power of God's Word"
"Create In Me" (The Offertory) (Red Hymnal page 12)
The Post-Sermon Hymn – 346 (Red Hymnal)
"Jesus! And Shall It Ever Be"
The Offering, followed by the Prayers
The Closing Hymn – 48 (Red Hymnal)
"How Blest Are They Who Hear God's Word"
Silent Prayer
Welcome! - We warmly welcome any visitors who might be with
us this morning and invite you to join us every Sunday at this time.
St. Paul is a congregation in fellowship with the Church of the
Lutheran Confession (CLC) – a conservative Lutheran synod with
congregations throughout the United States, as well as mission
affiliates around the world. We are glad you are here. Thank you
for letting us share the Word of God with you. Please record your
visit in our Guest Book, and come again.
Attendance - Sunday (38) Average (45)
Today -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service
-11:00 a.m. – Fellowship/coffee time
Next Sunday -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service
-11:15 a.m. – Fellowship/coffee time
CLC News – Pastor Richard Kanzenbach is considering the call to St.
Luke's of Lemmon. Pastor Mark Tiefel has returned the call to
Immanuel of Mankato. Redeemer of Cheyenne has postponed the
opening of their new school for one year due to the unavailability of a
teacher. Teacher Matthew Thurow is considering the call to Faith of
Markesan.
Mission Helper Trip – 17 Mission Helpers continue their mission work in
Nepal. You can follow along with the Mission Helpers through the trip
blog at: http://2017clcmhtnepal.blogspot.com/ Your continued prayers
would certainly be appropriate.
Mortgage Reduction Drive – A mortgage elimination drive was enacted
at our recent Quarterly Voters' meeting. The goal is for the
congregation to be debt-free by year's end. Contributions for this effort
should be marked "Mortgage Reduction."
Christian Parenting Program – A Christian series on child rearing has
been added to the church library in both DVD and CD format. It is
entitled "Growing Kids God's Way for No Excuse Parenting" and is
highly recommended. See the Pastor for more details.
Vacation Bible School – Our VBS is scheduled for August 17-18 (a
Friday and Saturday). We are making a concerted effort this year to
invite un-churched children from the community. The outreach plan
includes a flyer distribution effort, but personal invitations are always
best. Please let the Pastor know of any non-members who plan to
attend so that we can plan accordingly.